Ferndale purse pursuit leads to drug charge

FERNDALE – A Southfield man faces drug charges after police say he went to a house to retrieve a female friend’s purse and the homeowner called police.

“The homeowner told us a strange man was knocking on the door and verbally threatening him,” said Ferndale Police Sgt. Patrick Jones. “The suspect left empty handed and was a passenger in a car with some other people.”

Police responded to the homeowner’s complaint about 12:30 a.m. on West Marshall near Woodward, police said.

A patrol officer stopped a vehicle that the suspect -- Dwayne Durr, 44 -- was traveling in near Eight Mile Road and Laprarie, police said.

Advertisement

Durr had 11 warrants out for his arrest on various misdemeanor charges, Jones said.

Though the homeowner said he didn’t recognize Durr, police said the suspect went to the house to get a purse that belonged to the homeowner’s girlfriend, who was traveling in the car with the suspect and other people.

Police said they found five crack cocaine pipes and other drug paraphernalia on the suspect.

“He also had a plastic Zip Lock bag with cocaine residue in it and a narcotic hydrocodone pill stashed in his sock,” Jones said.

Durr was arraigned Monday in Ferndale 43rd District Court on a charge of possession of less than 25 grams of cocaine.

The suspect is jailed on $5,000 cash bond.

He is scheduled for a pre-exam hearing in Ferndale District Court at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Durr faces up to four years in prison if convicted of the felony drug charge against him.